Mortar shells

Also known as

Mortar rounds
Mortar bombs
Mortar ammunition

Mortar shells are fin-stabilized, unguided projectiles used by mortar crews for high-angle indirect fire in light, medium, and heavy calibers. AP reporting on Myanmar described gyrocopters carrying 30 to 40 mortar shells for hand release, showing how the ammunition can also be repurposed as an improvised airborne payload.

Mortar shells, Unguided mortar projectile, Munitions

Image source: Wikimedia 81mm mortar rounds

Profile / Specs

Profile

Origin: Multiple countries
Built by: Various manufacturers and state arsenals
Type: Unguided mortar projectile
Service note: 20th century-present
Unit cost: Not publicly documented
Produced: Early 20th century-present

mortar indirect fire strike

Specifications

Projectile type: Unguided, fin-stabilized mortar projectile
Common calibers: 60 mm, 81 mm, and 120 mm families are the most common modern examples
Launch method: Muzzle-loaded from mortar tubes; AP also reported hand release from gyrocopters in Myanmar
Role: High-angle indirect fire, smoke, illumination, and high-explosive effects depending on the round
Fuzing: Point-detonating, impact, or time fuzes depending on model

Carrier Aircraft

Myanmar reporting linked mortar shells to gyrocopters used for low-altitude hand-release attacks.

Carrier

Carrier type

Carriage evidence

Gyrocopters, Gyroplane / autogyro, Aircraft & UAVs

Gyrocopter

AP reported that Myanmar military gyrocopters could remain aloft while carrying 30 to 40 mortar shells for hand release, and Fortify Rights described the same attack pattern as a low-altitude bombing method.

Sources: AP report on Myanmar gyrocopters

Service And Conflict Use

Service History

In service: Standard mortar ammunition used worldwide in light, medium, and heavy mortar families.

Media

Mortar shells Images

Mortar shells, Unguided mortar projectile, Munitions - view 1 — Source: Wikimedia mortar shells photo

Mortar shells, Unguided mortar projectile, Munitions - view 2 — Source: Wikimedia mortar round photo

Related Weapon Systems

Mortar bombs, 60mm, 60 mm mortar ammunition, Munitions

MunitionsMortar bombs, 60mm60 mm mortar ammunition60 mm mortar bombs are fin-stabilized light mortar rounds made in high-explosive, smoke, illuminating, and training variants for portable 60 mm mortar tubes. In the Boko Haram Insurgency, Nigerian military reporting has repeatedly listed 60 mm mortar bombs among weapons and explosive materiel recovered from Boko Haram or Boko Haram/ISWAP fighters, so this entry represents the caliber family rather than one traced manufacturer or lot.

Mortar shell, Mortar projectile, Munitions

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81/82 mm mortar, 81/82 mm crew-served medium mortar, Artillery

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Mortars, Infantry and artillery mortar class, Artillery

ArtilleryMortarsInfantry and artillery mortar classMortars are short-barreled, high-angle indirect-fire weapons used by infantry, artillery units, and armed groups for close support, harassment, and attacks on positions behind cover. The catalog entry treats mortars as a broad weapon class because the direct conflict sources usually document mortar use without identifying exact calibers or models, including Philippine government support fires at Marawi, Hezbollah fire at Mount Dov, jihadist attacks in Mali and Sinai, FARC dissident improvised mortars in Colombia, Sudan War battlefield use, and Cambodia-accused cross-border fire.

120 mm HAL-20 mortar shell with fuze UT M88 P2, 120 mm thermobaric mortar shell, Munitions

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120 mm HE M62P8 mortar shell, 120 mm high-explosive mortar shell, Munitions

Munitions120 mm HE M62P8 mortar shell120 mm high-explosive mortar shellThe 120 mm HE M62P8 is a Yugoslav-origin high-explosive mortar shell for 120 mm mortars, documented by Yugoimport with 606 mm overall length, 12.6 kg mass, TNT fill, and a UTU/M93P1 point-detonating fuze. Yugoimport's datasheet also ties the shell to the 120 mm M75 mortar, and ARES documents the M62P8 in Syrian reporting as a Serbian-made 120 mm mortar projectile.

Sources

Army Mortar AmmunitionPublisher: U.S. Army | Note: Supports general mortar-ammunition background and the common 60 mm, 81 mm, and 120 mm family structure used for mortar shells. | Accessed: 2026-06-27 FM 23-90 MortarsPublisher: U.S. Army / U.S. Marine Corps | Note: Supports the mortar shell's general role as fin-stabilized mortar ammunition used for indirect fire, smoke, illumination, and high-explosive effects. | Accessed: 2026-06-27 AP report on Myanmar gyrocoptersPublisher: Associated Press | Note: Supports the Myanmar gyrocopter carriage context: AP reported that gyrocopters could carry 30 to 40 mortar shells for hand release. | Accessed: 2026-06-27 Fortify Rights report on paramotors and gyrocoptersPublisher: Fortify Rights | Note: Supports the Myanmar gyrocopter attack pattern as a low-altitude bombing method that also involved mortar-shell carriage. | Accessed: 2026-06-27 Wikimedia 81mm mortar roundsPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance for the primary mortar-round illustration used on the page. | Accessed: 2026-06-27 Wikimedia mortar shells photoPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance for a mortar-shell photograph in the gallery. | Accessed: 2026-06-27 Wikimedia mortar round photoPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance for a mortar-round photograph in the gallery. | Accessed: 2026-06-27